Tales of Riku
by Lloyd Irving 123
Summary: A remake of the famous Tales of Symphonia, with a new character, Riku of the Kingdom Hearts Series joining in the journey of the Chosen One.
1. Prolouge

Warning: The following is a crossover between Namco/Tales of Studio's "Tales of Symphonia", and Square Enix/Disney's "Kingdom Hearts" series. If you don't fully understand Kingdom Hearts, the story so far will be briefly explain what you have missed. Those who do not care, please skip ahead to the next Chapter. Warning: Spoilers for KH and KH: Chain of Memories

Disclaimer: I do not own Namco, Tales of Studio, Square Enix, or Disney. Tales of Symphonia is Namco's, and Kingdom Hearts is Square Enix.

**(Introduction)**

The story I am about to tell you is true, I promise. Long ago, in a galaxy far away from ours, there were mystical keys known as "Keyblades". These Blades were powerful, but not rare. The most powerful of humans and nights were the only people to own them.

But a battle broke out between the Chosen Ones. Thereafter called the Keyblade War, no one knows the true reason of the war, but here is my belief.

An man by the name of "Master Xehanort", had waged war against the strongest of the Keyblade holders, Terra, Ven, and Aqua. The battle was short for a war, but gruesome none the less. The victor was never discovered, but the Keyblade no longer became for everyone.

The Blade, having a mind of it's own, realized it should choose it's Master, The Keybearer. Today, only three are known…

A few years ago, three kids had decided to leave their small island, Destiny Islands to be exact. Their names were Sora, Riku, and Kairi. The three began to construct a raft. Their efforts were successful, until one dark stormy night, the three thought the raft would end up blowing away. The three separately appeared on the island. First Riku, then Kairi, then finally, our hero, Sora.

Seconds later, black globs appeared. They were given antennas, a small body, and bright yellow eyes. These creatures became known as "Heartless". Almost instantly, Sora had been chosen, the Keyblade appearing in his hand, allowing him to fight.

Sora ran into Kairi soon after. Her dazed eyes, and zombie like stare drilled into him. She disappeared, and Sora knew she had left. Running outside, he ran into Riku, who was obsessed by the Darkness.

"Come on Sora, we can finally leave." He had said, but Sora disagreed. Out of options, Sora reached for Riku's out stretched hand. Missing it, Destiny Islands had been destroyed… and Sora was flung into Twilight town.

There he met Donald and Goofy, two strange fellows who were looking for him, and more importantly, the "Key". The set of three later headed out to many worlds, to seal the "Key Hole" to each world to save it from being destroyed by the Heartless, just as Sora's Islands have.

Eventually, Sora caught up with Riku, who had been assisting Maleficent, who had sent the Heartless out to conquer worlds. Taking on a change of clothes, Riku had grown darker, just as Sora grew lighter. Blade clashed over the captured Kairi. Riku stated she was the final "Princess of Heart".

The "Seven Princess of Heart" were Seven pure women who would unlock the door to Hollow Bastion's (Riku's hideout) 'heart.'

The battle ended, as Sora had finally defeated his best friend. But it would not be long before Sora realized that Riku was possessed.

"I am Ansem." He stated, an evil grin on his face. "Seeker of Darkness!"

It would not be long now, until this 'Ansem' revealed his true form. A dark skinned man with long white hair. He bore the Heartless symbol on his chest. Sora slowly defeated the man, and released Riku. But as Ansem died, he reveled Kingdom Hearts, which contained the Hearts of all Worlds. But as the door opened, light was reveled, finishing of Ansem for good. Sora ran to the door, and tackled it, attempting to close it to prevent the dark Heartless from getting out. The door was too big to close, until the unpossesed Riku appeared on the other side with the Heartless. Lending a hand, the two managed to close the door.

A new face, King Mickey, who Donald and Goofy had been searching for their entire trip with Sora, fended off the Heartless, and assisted Sora in closing the door to Kingdom Hearts.

Now, I mainly talked about Sora, because his is the only story we know, but for our next 'chapter' we shall focus on Sora's best friend… Riku

Riku was an intelligent and strong young man. Head strong, and a skilled sword fighter, he and Sora had a long lasting rivalry. To become stronger, he embraced the darkness, even giving his soul to Ansem, who took full control. After Ansem was defeated, Riku separated himself from Sora and Kairi, and traveled with his new ally, King Mickey. The two stumbled upon a dark castle that was later called "Castle Oblivion". King Mickey had to leave, so Riku was left to fight through the Castle himself, which he handled easily with his Souleater in hand.

He then stumbled upon a snoozing Sora, and a new friend, Naminé. She quickly explained that Sora could ether completely forget all of Castle Oblivion's memories, or forget his old memories. He had chosen the latter. He was required to sleep for a year, so that Naminé could remake his memories. Riku, who was unaffected by memory changes, decided it was time to finally take on his most vicious monster he had ever faced.

Ansem… Seeker of Darkness

And this, is where I turn the story over, to you, readers.


	2. Welcome to Symphonia

"Ansem!" Riku yelled at his former master. The Dark Lord turned around, and laughed.

"You've come to challenge me, have you Riku? Very good. I have been waiting. I'll take you back by force." He said darkly, as he floated into the air, a black creature known as a "Guardian" appeared behind him.

"Heh, I thought you'd see it my way" Riku yelled back. Riku held out his hand, a dark sword, known as the Souleater appeared in his hand. The sword was strange, whether at first glance, or a long dissection. The blade looked like a dark wing that might be found on a large bat. The inside of the blade is red, while the outside, the hilt and tip, were blue. When the red and blue first cross, there in a blank staring eye. The blade in his hand, Riku assumed his position, one armed reached in front of him, his armed hand lifted next to his head, so that the eye of the blade and his own were level. Ansem, floating in the air, simply crossed his arms.

"Very well… Submit!" Ansem shouted, and the guardian leapt into action, attempting to slash Riku. Quickly, he responded with a back flip. Ansem then summoned multiple pillars of darkness from the floor. Thinking quickly, and light on his feet, Riku swerved in and out of the pillars. When he reached Ansem, he stabbed. "Come Guardian." Ansem said calmly, and the Guardian intercepted Riku. Riku lost his guard, as the strength of the Guardian was similar to that of a shield. His sword bounced backwards, and Riku nearly lost his balance. Ansem laughed, as he silently commanded his Guardian to disappear into the floor. The guardian obeyed, and disappeared. Second later, the creature appeared below Riku, taking him up with him. "Hahahahahaha! Is this all you have to offer, Dark Warrio- What is this?" He suddenly cried. The Guardian become phased, and disappeared. Riku, now suspended in midair, held a card.

His clothes, normally a yellow and black t-shirt, and blue jeans with blue cover-pants supported by belts, was now darker. He now wore a long-sleeved black shirt, that formed red gloves at the end. The fingers were a dark blue. In the middle of his chest he bore the Heartless symbol. Three belts could be found on his waist, two of them crossed. He also wore a white skirt with dark blue pants under them. His boots went up to his knees. In his hand was a light green card. He laughed, his voice a bit darker now. "Hey, Ansem, you remember Mickey, correct? I have him right here. In this Castle, none of my friends can assist me, unless I call them, and in this card, I have my favorite mouse. King Mickey, I request your assistance!" He shouted, throwing the card in the air. Seconds later, the black mouse appeared, and took out a card of his own. Saying nothing, King Mickey converted his light energy into the card, and it exploded with light, sending Ansem back. As the Seeker of Darkness was frozen, Riku took his chance, and charged the man, dealing a stab to the heart. Ansem gasped, letting blood spill onto the Castle's white floors.

"H-how?" He asked suddenly. Riku withdrew his sword, and reverted back to his Island clothes. Ansem fell to the floor. "How could you defeat me?" He asked again. Riku smirked.

"Isn't it simple Ansem? I have a much stronger hold of the Darkness. I have a balance, unlike you. You've become so obsessed with the Darkness, you were defeated by my light." Riku explained simply, and walked past his former master. "Too bad you're not the real Ansem. You're only his spirit." Riku said. And with that, Ansem vanished, his Guardian with him. The King walked up to Riku.

"Good job. I'm proud of you." The King said, patting Riku on the back. He smiled back, and took out a long black cloak. Mickey did the same. They put the dark hooded cloaks on, and walked outside, hoods covering most of their face, their cuffs covering the rest. Mickey's ears stuck out.

Upon reaching a cross road, a man who Riku had run into but once before, was waiting for them. 'DiZ…?" Riku asked. DiZ nodded. "This is your time to choose. Will you take the Road to the Light?" He asked pointing one way, "Or the Road to the Darkness?" He asked, pointing the other. Mickey spoke up.

"Neither!" He said. Riku nodded, and then looked at the King.

"You are coming with me… correct?"

"I'm sorry Riku, but this is your time to shine. I cannot come with you."

"I suppose that was inevitable." Riku sighed. He looked back at DiZ. The man had disappeared, revealing a new road. "Now… I can walk my own road… The Road to Dawn…" He said. He took one finally bow towards Mickey, and walked off. "We will meet again, King Mickey!"

"I hope so. You best find what you're looking for. I hope it leads us to the same place though."

Darkness soon surrounded him. He was then thrust into a perfectly square, white room with a door.

"Wh-where am I? Wasn't I just outside?"

'_Indeed, Riku'_ a voice said, coming out of nowhere.

"Who's there."

"_I have no time to explain. Step through the door. All will be answered soon."_

"…I suppose there's no where else to go…" He said. He turned the knob of the door, and stepped through it. He blinked, and looked around. It seemed to be an ordinary town. He looked behind him, to notice the door was growing smaller. "W-Wait! No, don't-" He shouted, and many heads turned. The villagers knew, he was an outsider, and Riku was in for a rude awakening.

"Desian! Quick, get him!" One man yelled. Riku soon found himself under a number of villagers. One person then shouted from the crowd, and Riku blacked out.

Riku awoke with a jump, gasping slightly. He quickly shock his head to regain his thoughts. He kept his eyes closed to remember what had happened. He now found himself on a soft bed. "Where am I? This isn't the islands…" He said to himself, and stood up. He looked around the small, but comfy room he was in. He picked up a nearby picture frame, to see a young blonde girl hugging a spiky-haired teen in red. "I don't recognize these people…" He said to himself, beginning to think as he set the picture down. A voice then suddenly yelled.

"You're not going Lloyd, and that's final!" An old man shouted. Riku looked down the stairs, and decided that was the safest place to be. He silently walked down the steps so as not to draw attention to himself. He took off his hood at the bottom, and everyone's head had turned to him. He blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh. You're up! Thank goodness." The young blonde from the picture said suddenly. She was the one that shouted from the crowd earlier. She must have saved him. She wore a loose white jacket with blue trimmings, and simple blue pants, and white boots. She wore a very peculiar, tight necklace. "I was so worried. I hope you didn't get hurt." Riku, too stunned to speak, simply stood there. A red-headed man in a purple attire spoke up, so as to extract attention from Riku.

"So, The Priestesses, Raine Sage and myself will be going on this journey. That is final. You two kids will have to stay home." He said, turning his head to two kids.

The first kid was the other from the photograph. He wore a red long sleeved shirt that had silver buttons every inch or so to create a nice pattern. He wore red boots and gloves. He also had blue overalls that went a bit higher than his waist. Around his waist were three belts. One was a normal belt; the other two had crossed, similar to Riku's Dark Form. He held twin blades in his lap.

The other was much younger than the first. He had silver hair that closely resembled Riku's. Two strands reached his shoulders, but the others were generally cut the same length He wore a light blue attire with a darker blue 'jumpsuit' that reach his wrists and knees. His clothes closely reminded someone of a Sage. He held a basic Kendama in his hand.

The man in red quickly protested. "Come on Colette! I can help!" He said, standing up quickly, his blades quickly dropping to the floor. "Genis, help me." He said to the younger boy, who simply shock his head. A second women suddenly spoke.

"Me, Kratos and Colette are the only ones going… but more importantly… who is this man?" She asked, pointing to Riku.

"Oh. I saw him outside our house. He was tackled by the villagers. They thought he was a Desian. That's why I was late Professor Sage." 'Colette' said.

"See Raine? I told you Colette wouldn't lie."

"Well, I suppose you're right." 'Raine' replied. Riku had reached his limits.

"Where the hell am I!?" He suddenly shouted. All eyes were turned back to him. "What is this place?"

"This place is Iselia." The red-head replied curtly. He stood up from his spot at the table to better reveal himself. He wore a broad sword at his waist. His purple attire was simple, and he had two belts. In the back he had a small 'cape' that was split in half. "How do you not know where you are?" He asked suspiciously.

Riku quickly retorted. "I was kinda jumped the second I got here."

"I suppose that is enough. Raine, Colette, I will see you two tomorrow." The man said, a walked out. Raine stood up too. She, like Genis, had light silver hair. She seemed older than the rest of the group (excluding the red-head). She wore a orange over coat with a white shirt underneath. She wore black pants with white boots. The links to her cufflinks and boots shot out.

"Genis, I'll see you when you get home then. Lloyd, Colette." She said, and then walked out.

Quietly, Riku excuse himself, following Raine. Seconds later, as he walked out of the house, a hand grabbed him. Instinctively, Riku pushed the hand off of him. He turned around, lifting his fists. to notice it was the man in red, who quickly drew his dual blades. Riku, deciding he was harmless, so he turned around, and began walking away.

"Wait a second. Who are you?" The man said. Riku turned around. The boy they called Genis was now behind him.

"My name is Riku. I'm not from here…"

"Well yeah, you didn't even know the name of the village."

"No, I mean _here_. This world."

"Sylvarant?" Genis asked.

"If you say so kid." Riku replied curtly. "Who are you?"

"Genis Sage." The smaller kid replied.

"I'm Lloyd Irving. I live close by here."

"I see, interesting. So, what was this place called? Iselia?"

"Yep, this is our village."

"What was that meeting about?" Riku asked, suddenly interested.

"It doesn't matter now." Lloyd said, a little aggravated. "It was a bout a Journey Colette is gonna make, but, of course, me and Genis can't go…"

"Well, if you say so… look, I hate to be rude, but I need a place to stay for a little while, just until I find someplace I can stay."

"You can stay at my place; Dwarven Vow #2: Never abandon someone in need."

"Dwarven? Aren't you human?"

"Yeah. I remembered all the Dwarven Vows from my father, Dirk. So, he'll gladly let you in."

"There are… Dwarves in this world."

"And elves." Genis said, pointing to himself.

"I have a lot to learn about this place…"

"Well, Riku, I'm heading home now, so, let's go."

"Wait, Lloyd, can I come with you?" Genis asked, tugging on Lloyd's shirt.

"Sure, but… uh, why?"

"I want to see a friend…"

"I didn't know you had friends with me outside of the village… well, okay, let's go." Lloyd laughed, and ran ahead. Genis followed. Riku frowned, and shook his head. "This place is strange… looks like a new story for me…"


	3. The Human Ranch

MFJ – Glad to know people still like my questionable writing. Merry Christmas! Or Happy Hanukah… and New Years…

You just can't tell any more…

Fenix – You might be disappointed to hear this, but being clear ain't my strong point. I'm like a muddy pond. If it's something about my writing, please tell me what I should be changing so that I can. As for the Anime terms, I was just watching it a few days ago. Don't worry, it was a one-time deal. The rest of the story will be game-terms only, and Kratos will continue to refer to Colette as the Chosen.

Riku separated himself from Genis and Lloyd, thinking what he was supposed to do. He was unfamiliar with the land, and didn't even know if he could summon the Souleater. His best bet, was to follow the two who knew what was going on, get some information from them, and leave when he could. It's not unlikely that there was a Gummi Ship nearby.

The Gummi Ship, introduced to him by King Mickey, was what people from 'his world' used to get from planet to planet easily. If Riku could find it, he could easily get home, find the King and Sora, and then some.

Genis, afraid of the silver-headed man, continued to look back every chance he could. Every time, there Riku was, simply staring at the ground. Eventually, Genis gave Lloyd a light tap with his elbow. Lloyd looked down at his young friend, and smiled. "What's up Genis?"

"It's that, Riku kid. What's his deal?" He asked, looking back. Lloyd did too. "He just appeared out of nowhere, according to Colette, and now you're letting him in your house."

"Well, you know my father would kill me if I told him I broke a Dwarven Vow."

"Just because your dad is a Dwarf doesn't mean you're gonna get in trouble for leaving a stranger out here…"

"I suppose not, but he doesn't seem like a bad guy. Just looks… lost."

"Like a puppy… but he's nowhere near as cute…"

"Yeah… okay…" Lloyd finished, uncomfortably looking away as Genis folded his arms. Lloyd looked back to see Riku still staring at the ground. "Don't worry man, we're almost there."

"Watch out though… there are a few monsters around here now a days. Just stay behind me and Lloyd." Genis said arrogantly. "I don't want you getting hurt on your first day here."

"What was that?" Riku suddenly said, making Lloyd jump. He and Genis turned around to see Riku, removing his cloak's hood. "You do realize you're talking to a Keybearer, right?"

"A what?"

"My dad can make keys out of the right kind of iron. Does that make him a 'Key-maker'?"

"Maybe it's best I show you…" Riku sighed. 'Lloyd's not the brightest… is he?' Riku wondered to himself. He held out his hand, and closed his eyes. Seconds later, metal brushed up against his hands as the blade appeared. Riku opened his eyes again to reveal the red and blue wing of Souleater in his hand. 'Good…' Riku thought suddenly. 'I can still summon this'.

"W-whoa! What kinda- how did you- Was that magic?" Lloyd suddenly shouted, his eyes as big as dinner plates. Clearly enthused, Lloyd held out his own hand, and closed his eyes. "K, now what?" He asked. Riku began to laugh, and the Souleater disappeared from sight.

"Sorry Lloyd, Keyblade holders only."

"Keyblade?" Genis asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's… well, a bit too complicated to go into. You've probably heard to much already."

Lloyd, disappointed, opened his eyes and put his hands in his pockets. He kicked some dirt on the road, and continued on his way. Riku followed. Genis, still unsure, held out his own hand. Disappointed that nothing appeared, he followed.

The group managed to make it through the forest completely unharmed. Riku, continued to wonder what this world was like, but decided it best if he did not ask Lloyd or Genis any questions. Eventually, Genis split away from the group, much to Lloyd's disappointment.

"Okay guys, this is where I leave."

"The Human Ranch? Genis, you can't be serious!"

"Human Ranch?" Riku found himself asking. Lloyd turned to him with a confused look in his eye.

"You've never heard of a Human Ranch?" He asked. Riku shook his head. "I suppose you're lucky. In a Human Ranch, Desians take in innocent people to do work all day. No pay, barely any food. It's slavery. Iselia has a treaty with the Desians though. We leave them alone, the Desians don't attack our village."

"What!? That's horrible."

"I know… I'd stop it, but… the only way I can defeat them is…" A long pause. "Never mind."

"Lloyd… I have to visit Marble…"

"Marble?"

"She's my friend, Lloyd. She'd love to hear about what happened today. The Oracle appeared, you can't get much cooler than that." Genis said. He turned around, and began walking away.

"Did he already forget that I appeared out of a door in the middle of nowhere…?"

"Guess so. But I have to follow him. If he gets caught, he's gonna be enslaved and Iselia is going to be attacked!"

"Come on then." Riku said, running after Genis, Lloyd right behind him.

"So, during school, the light came. It was so pretty Marble. I wish you could have seen it."

"I do too, Genis." An elderly woman said. She must have been Marble. Why would Genis have such an old friend, Riku wondered.

"Genis, we have to get out of here." Lloyd said, his voice in a low whisper."

"Yeah, I know. Just, give me a minute."

Lloyd looked at Genis. "All right, one mi-"

"What is that…?" Riku suddenly asked. A small blue light had gotten his attention. A blue stone was placed upon Marbles arm.

Lloyd's eyes widened. "That's an Exsphere."

"Exsphere?" Genis asked, grabbing Marbles hand to get a closer look.

"Grams, why do you have an Exsphere on you?" Lloyd said, ignoring Genis.

"Ahh" Marble began, beginning to look at the stone herself. "So that's what this is called. The men here simply put it on my hand one day. I didn't know what it was."

"This one doesn't have a Key-crest though… An Exsphere without a Key-crest is dangerous…"

"Lloyd! Can you make a Key-crest?" Genis asked, worried for his friend's safety. Riku still felt left in the dark.

"N-no… Key-crests are Dwarven Technology. I can't make one myself."

"You're dad's a Dwarf! Ask him to make one! Please Lloyd!" Genis begged.

"F-fine."

"No, please don't." Marble said, blushing slightly. "Don't go through all this trouble to sa- uh-oh, here come the Desians. Quick you three, get out of here!"

"Desians?" Lloyd whispered. "Great, just what we need…"

Riku lifted his head, and pointed at a nearby ledge. "Get over there. We'll probably be safe." He said, and he ran off.

"I'm sorry Grams…" Lloyd said, and he and Genis followed Riku.

"What are you doing over here?" A Desian asked Marble.

"I- I was just over here taking a breather."

"Taking a break huh? Grab her men."

"They're taking her to the back." Riku pointed out. "Whips? Wow, you people are old fashioned…"

"Oh no, Lloyd! We have to do something."

"There are four right there… Genis, hit all of them with you fire balls!"

"I can only summon three."

"Leave the one of the right to me…" Riku said darkly. A dark aura began to summon around his hands. Genis, slight shocked, nodded. He began to bounce the ball on his Kendama back and forth. "Ready… go! Dark Fiagra!" He shouted, throwing a dark fireball at one of the Desians.

"Fireball!" Genis shouted, summoning three fireballs. Flames began to engulf the remaining Desians.

"Quick! Genis, get out of here! We'll distract the guards." Lloyd yelled, taking out his dual blades. "We can't let the Desians know you were here. I'll just take care of all the remaining Desians."

"I'll help. Genis, get back to Iselia." Genis nodded, and with that sprinted. Riku and Lloyd looked at each other. Nether said anything, but both of them nodded. They jumped down the ledge to the front of the base, blades at the ready.

"So, you're the brats who interrupted us." A Desian said, adjusting his helmet. He was badly burned; most of his skin was blackened by ether Riku or Genis' attack, He carried a whip. Three other Desians, all carrying a sword, were behind him. "Well then we-"

"Bastard Desians. I'll end you!" Lloyd interrupted. Suddenly, his right hand began to glow. Before, it was simply bandaged with a simple white cloth. Riku assumed it was an everyday wound, but when the cloth disappeared, an Exsphere appeared.

"You have one too?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, but mine has a Key-crest, so I'm okay."

"…If you say so. Let's take care of these guys." Riku smirked. Lloyd nodded in a silent agreement, and both of them rushed the group.

A stab to through the chest was Riku first mode, quickly dispatching the first Desian. Lloyd chose a more powerful attack. First he slashed the Desian into the air, and then quickly followed up with a downward slash "Tiger Blade!" He shouted as the Desian hit the ground, bleeding from the mouth, cuts all over his front.

"Flashy." Riku commented. "My turn." He grabbed the hilt of his blade with both hands, and rose into the air. He then disappeared from sight. "Dark Aura!" He shouted, as he appeared in front of the man, and went through him. He appeared from the side, and preformed the same technique. From the back, from the left- Riku hit the Desian in all directions until the man feel to the floor, dead. The final Desian was cowardly, and had already fallen to the floor.

Emotionlessly, Lloyd stated; "This is for revenge for mom… Demon Fang!" He shouted, as he scraped his sword on the ground. It created a shock wave that rammed the Desian. Lloyd must have targeted correctly, as the Desian was sent back, and his the wall of the Ranch. Lloyd's Exsphere died down, and he returned to his happy-go-lucky self. "All in favor of getting out of here?" He asked.

Riku raised his hand, and stated a quick "I". The two ran to the outskirts of the Human Ranch's territory. As they crossed the small natural bridge between Iselia Forest and the Ranch, it seemed Genis had not gone home yet.

"Oh good, you two are okay."

"Yeah, thankfully. Those Desians weren't that tough though…"

"Kinda sad, really. I expected more of a challenge." Riku said curtly, making the Souleater blade disappear. "So, Genis, should you be getting home?" Genis looked like he was insulted, and was about to tell Riku off.

"He's right Genis" Lloyd cut in before Genis could retort on Riku. "We don't want any Desians coming to the village. You'd get blamed."

"Yeah… thanks again Lloyd, Riku." Genis said politely, and walked off. Riku stared after him for a few seconds, before Lloyd tapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on, let's go. My house is close by now."

The two continued down the road before they managed to stumble upon a log cabin. It had two buildings and looked professionally built. Smoke was coming out of the chimney, and the house had a small stable. In the stable was a green and white, big-eared creature was resting. Lloyd walked over to it, and began to stroke its head. Riku looked to the right of the house, to notice a grave, the area surrounded by a very small fence.

"Well…" Lloyd said, after Riku was through examining the house. "This is it. Kinda small, but, it will do for you."

"So long as I get a bed, I'm not all that picky." Riku admitted. He decided to bring up the creature. "So, what's that thing you're scratching? Your pet?"

"Yep. This is Noishe."

"What is he? He's too big to be a dog… is this some sort of monster?" Riku asked. When Noishe heard the word monster, it's ears went up, quickly followed by the head. Noishe looked around, and eventually stood. Satisfied that it was safe, it lay back down.

"Don't say the 'm' word".

"Huh?"

"Noishe is afraid of… you-know-what." Lloyd explained. "Which is strange. He's bigger than any monster I'd ever seen… You crazy dog, you."

"Dog? That thing is way too big to be an ordinary dog."

"Well, I've known him since I was a baby. Dirk found me with him and everything."

"How old are you?" Riku asked curiosly.

"17, why?"

"'Dogs' must live longer here then they do in my world. A dog that size can't live 17 years and still be able to jump at the sound of one word…"

"Well, Noishe might be a special type of dog. I dunno."

"Special is right… he's green too, that's not normal…"

The remainder of the day crept by slowly. Riku was introduced to Dirk. Unlike Riku had expected, the Dwarf was only a foot smaller than Lloyd, and was incredibly strong looking. They ate a small dinner, and Riku decided to leave the two alone.

He slept in Lloyd's room that night, many thoughts bothering him. What had happened to Marble? What would he do tomorrow that was productive? How was he going to get home?

Later that night, the group he had meet earlier that day had arrived. The man in purple, whose name Riku still did not know, Genis, Raine, and Colette. Faking to sleep, he overheard a conversation between Lloyd and Colette. Apparently, Colette was going on a long journey to Regenerate the World. Lloyd, originally, was not allowed to go. It looks like Colette had changed her mind, and the two were going, together. This raised another question. If Lloyd wasn't here, who could he stay with… maybe he would end up going with the group.

Eventually, the group left to go to Iselia, and Lloyd had turned in. Riku finally managed to get some rest.

1:00 Am, next morning.

"Is that him?"

"I don't know, serge. I can't see anything."

"Oh, shut up. I don't care. Just grab the boy with the Exsphere, and let's go!"

"Yessir… why are we even doing this, sir?"

"I told you, _that's_ the Exsphere Grand Cardinal Kvar has been looking for."

"I see… well, I got hi- Ugh, he's heavy…"

"Good, and here we take our leave."

Lloyd woke with a start, and sat up in his sleeping bag. He looked around, and squinted. He looked up to his bed to remember that was where Riku was sleeping. "I better get rest… can't let Colette wait tomorrow."


	4. Iselia Attacked!

Revived Sin: Yup yup. If you liked the original, you should like this. A bit more detail, less grammar mistakes, and my spelling is… well, not faultless, but still… See, I use big words now too.

Killerbunbun: Ops… well, heehee, that's embarrassing… oh well, I fixed it. Sorry if I alerted anyone for pointless reasons.

AquadragonSayain: Uh-huh, always.

Ch. 3

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Riku struggled and groaned as he attempted to squirm free from his captors grasp. Blindfolded, cuffed and gagged, he couldn't see anything or speak for his own defense.

"Lord Forcystus will be happy to have you in his grasp you runt." One of them was laughing. "That Exsphere of yours has been a prize for us Half-Elves for quite some time."

"_Half-Elves?_" Riku could only wonder to himself. "_Exsphere? W-were they aiming for Lloyd!?_"

"Come on. Pick up the pace solder." One of the men began to shout. "You call yourself a Desian? Let's move it!"

"_Desians!? I'm in deep here._" Riku began to struggle more fiercely now.

"Hey hey, easy there kid. I wouldn't want to kill you, now would I?"

"You better not man. Kvar wants that kid alive."

"I know. Making threats is fun though."

"We've arrived…" A female voice said. Two large gates had begun to open, and the pace of the Desian holding Riku quickened. As the Desian ran, his shoulder began to ram into Riku's stomach, causing severe pain. When the Desian finally came to a halt, Riku's back meet the hard tiled floor. "Here he is Forcystus."

"…That… is not the boy. How disappointing. The camera here shows that the boy was in red… he had brown hair, and this child clearly has silver… oh, I see. He's the other kid fighting along side him… Allow him to speak, I have some questions."

A Desian walked over to Riku, and stood him up. The man untied the cloth covering Riku's mouth. This didn't help much. He was still handcuffed, blindfolded, and he just figured out that something was holding his ankles together.

"So… who are you?"

"My name is Riku, and just who the hell are you?" Riku demanded.

"You're not in the place for asking questions kid." One of the Desians behind him shouted.

"Calm down. He wants to know. My name is Forcystus, the Grand Cardinal of the Iselian Desians."

"Grand Cardinal?"

"Looks like we gots ourselves an idiot, sir." One of the Desians giggled with joy.

"Quiet fool." Forcystus shouted. The laughter stopped. "Now then, Riku, we are looking for a boy. His name, I can't remember, but he has an Exsphere, brown hair, dressed in red clothes. Do you know where he is?"

"I'm not telling you diddly."

The Desians began to murmur. "Wha-? Diddly? What he just say? Did he just back sass- Yeah, he did."

"I see. Very well, how about a little competition then, Riku?"

"What kind of competition?"

"You and me, a little one on one. If I win, you must tell me where this man is, and bring him back to me."

"And If I win?"

"Though it's highly unlikely, I'll let you go… with a little gift, of course."

"Wha-"

"You there! Bring this boy an Exsphere drain."

"I don't even have an Exsphere!"

"…So you don't… no matter. Bring him an Exsphere too. And find him a Keycrest… I don't want him turning into a foul beast while we fight."

"What do you mean?" Riku asked, but Forcystus ignored him. Before he knew it, a sharp pain encountered his right hand, and he knew that the Exsphere, Keycrest in-take, had just penetrated his skin. The handcuffs were release, as were his foot-holders. Riku immediately untied the black blindfold, and looked at his opponent.

Muscular and tall, Forcystus had a red 'eye patch' on one eye, and a wicked smile to match. On his left arm was a giant golden cylinder.

"Now, drain all his power, I don't want any cheating."

"Drain my power, hah! You can't drain the abilities of a Dark Warrior!" Riku shouted, as he leaped into the air. Drastically, his clothes began to change into a darker, more evil look. A black long-sleeved sheet of armor again replaced his shirt, his pants now black and surrounded by a skirt. He had already drawn his sword. "Drain my power now. Dark Aur-AGGHHH!

Riku had been shot from the back by a Desian. He fell to the ground, and coughed up a bit of blood. He felt his back for the bullet, to find he was physically unharmed. He turned around to see a large group of Desians laughing. "What's the matter kid? That laser a bit too much for you?" Forcystus taunted. "Oh well. Now that you're a bit weaker… you might just want to back down now…"

"…Not a chance! I'll get out of here, no problem!" Riku said, struggling to get up, feeling weaker. He called his Souleater, and held it with two hands. His skirt and hair flew up slightly as a dark aura began to surround him. "Dark Aura!" He shouted. He jumped into the air, and slammed back down. He coughed. "Wh-what just-"

"I told you, all your abilities have been drained… well, natural abilities… Oh well, good-bye." Forcystus said, as he pointed his golden arm at Riku. The arm seemed to open up, and shot a giant green light. Just barely reacting, Riku rolled to the side, and stood up.

"C-come on! I got to have one… yeah, that'll work" He said to himself. Forcystus chuckled, an evil grin on his face. He shot another green blast. Seeing this coming, Riku jumped into the air, and shouted, "Dark Fiagra!" A dark orb came out of Riku's hand, and was heading straight for Forcystus. Unphased, Forcystus held up his arm in front of his face, and guarded the attack. "Damn it!" Riku suddenly shouted. He took his sword in both hands, and charged.

"Fool." Forcystus said calmly, as he smacked Riku unconscious with his Golden Arm. "I win…"

Lloyd awoke with a start as Genis shock him. "Ll- Llo- Lloyd, get up!" Lloyd finally heard what Genis was trying to say. He sat up in his sleeping bag, and then slowly stood.

"Wh-what? Genis, why you waking me so early?"

"Lloyd! It's the Desians!" Genis panted. It looks like he had just been sprinting.

"What about them?"

"They're pillaging Iselia! They know that we were at the Human Ranch!"

"WHAT!? Riku, get up!" Lloyd shouted. He looked towards his bed and froze. "R-Riku?"

"Y-yeah, there's more bad news… Riku is…"

"Just so you know Forcystus, I'm not enjoying this…" Riku groaned. Forcystus laughed.

"But you get front-row tickets to this. You're so ungrateful." He chuckled, as he walked forward towards a large group of people. "Now, bring me the boy with the Exsphere, or I shall slay all of you!" He shouted. Many Desians approached the group, swords in hand, many of the poking the sides of their victims.

"Exsphere? We have never heard of such a thing."

"Riku!" Lloyd shouted from across the road. Riku turned to see Lloyd and Genis, already casting a spell.

"Lloyd, get out of here, you're no match!"

"Shut up. I could take this guy down single handedly… stupid Desians. Go back where you came from!"

"Lloyd, do you have any idea what your up against!? Get the hell outta here."

"Oh, now now. I don't mind playing this kid's games." The Desian laughed. "Come on then boy, let's just see how powerful you really are." Forcystus clapped his hands. "Bring in the beast."

Two lower ranked Desians had now entered the village, a giant monster at the end of the rope they were carrying. The monster was a pukish green color, and had one gigantic arm. It looked twice the size of Riku. Genis began to shiver.

"W-what is that… horrible thing!"

"This...? This is what happens when you remove an Exsphere." Forcystus explained. "The body becomes deformed… and is turned into something like this. Not a very pretty sight."

Riku pushed Forcystus out of the way, and ran in front of Lloyd and Genis. He drew his sword, and held it against his face, holding his unarmed arm in front of him. "Come on then, I'll take it down."

"Is that free will?"

"I brought him to ya Forcystus, I held my end. You never said I could kick the living crap out of you at the end though!"

"…I suppose you're right."

"What's he talking about Riku?" Lloyd asked.

"Don't worry about it." Riku shook his head. "Just get rid of that monster. Who knows what it can do."

Genis had already begun to cast a spell. A circle had appeared below him, and he began to play with his Kandama, charging his energy. "Fireball!"

"Dark Fiagra!" Riku shouted. The ball erupted from his hand, and met up with Genis' own. The three hit the monster head on, as Lloyd charged in, his swords drawn. He thrust at the beast, sticking one of his father's wooden blades into its knee. Taking his other sword, he jumped into the air, dealing a devastating uppercut slash.

"Tiger Fang!"

Riku stuck his sword in the ground sideways, and began to charge the creature. He ran quickly, and the power of his sword dug through the earth. When he had reached his enemy, he lifted Souleater from the dirt, and dealt a diagonal slash, just missing the heart of the beast. "Burn!" He shouted, as his unarmed hand summoned another fireball. The beast winced in pain, and was forced to take a few steps back, holding it's bloody shoulder.

"Rika, use one of those moves you showed us before!"

"I- I can't! Not right now!"

"What the heck are you talking about."

"Just shut up and fight this thing!" Riku ordered. He was about to charge again when the creature spoke. Lloyd, Genis, Riku, and even the spectators watched in shock.

"Lloyd… Genis… Riku…"

"What? How does it…?"

"I-It's Marble!" Genis said, his eyes wider than anyone else's.

"Marble?" Riku asked, turning from Genis, back to Marble. "You mean the women from before?"

"Gah! Damn you women!" Forcystus yelled, dealing a kick to Marble. He pulled out Lloyd's wooden sword, and threw it on the ground, and stepped on it, breaking the sword in two. "How dare you stop attacking them. That Exsphere must have been faulty… Very well, I'll take care of you myself." He laughed wickedly. He took his spot in front of Marble, and held his golden arm in front of him like a cannon. It opened up, and began to charge. "Good by- What in the!" Marble had flung herself onto Forcystus, and began to speak.

"Please… do not let me die in vain!"

"Marble, no, what are you doing?"

"I can self destruct myself, Genis. I'll be able to stop him for a little while."

"Marble…"

"Don't do it Grams!" Lloyd shouted.

"It's okay… Genis, you're lucky to have made these friends… they're very nice people… good bye."

"Marble, wait!" Genis shouted, but Riku held him back.

"She's made up her mind Genis! We can't stop her now." He shouted, holding the flailing Elf back.

"But, Marble, no!"

Marble self destructed herself, attempting to take Forcystus with him. Riku was not sure whose cry was louder. Marble, Forcystus… or Genis. When the dust cleared, everyone was shocked to see who was standing there, in a small creator. Forcystus had survived the explosion.

"Gah… that damned women! How dare she! Back to base men… we'll spare these pitiful humans… for now." He growled, walking out of the village, limping as he did so. "We'll be back for you Lloyd… and Riku, you're on my list as well." He snarled. A Desian supported him, and dragged him out of the burning village.

"She died for a good cause Genis… there was nothing we could have done for her…"

"Raine… Raine could have healed her."

"Professor Sage might have been able to… but… we just don't know…" Lloyd said, patting his friend on the back. He then looked at the towns people. "Is everybody okay."

"Okay? Okay!?" The mayor yelled. "You come into our village as a wanted man, and ask us if we're okay!? Lloyd, you have broken the Desian/Iselia treaty. Do you know how bad that is? And you, Riku. You brought them here, didn't you? Forcystus said it himself."

"I didn't know this would happen!" Riku shouted in his own defense, but it seemed effortless.

"You two, are banned. Nothing ever good came because of you Lloyd… and I have the same feeling about you too, Riku."

"What was that?"

"You heard me… get out of here! NOW!" The mayor shouted.

"Wait, if you ban Lloyd, I'm going too!" Genis shouted back.

"Genis, no."

"Come on Lloyd. This wasn't your fault… or Riku's. It's mine…"

"…I don't think that's the case…" Riku sighed.

"…Fine, get out of here, all of you. I don't want you anywhere near Iselia, ever again!"

OOC: OMG UPDATE!


	5. Extras 1

Infinite Freedom: Well, let's get this on paper before I forget. The way I saw it, was that when Forcystus put the Exsphere on Riku, all of his abilities were magically transferred (to the Exsphere) by the strange machine that the Desians' shot Riku with. I know, it's a bit confusing, but bare with me. I'm trying to be original.

Aquadragonsayain: Hah, couldn't agree with ya more. Stupid Mayor's a pain in my ass.

Also, on a side note, though this is the story with the least amount of chapters, only 3 of which have to do with the story… this still seems to be everyone's favorite.

Now it is time for everyone's least favorite chapters.

Extras 1

Riku's Equipment:

Weapon One: Souleater – A black and red sword that uses the full potential of Riku's true powers.

Weapon Two: (None)

Weapon Three: (None)

Body: Destiny Clothes – Riku's everyday clothes from back in the day.

Head: None

Arm: None

Acc. 1: Organization Cloak – An ordinary black cloak that was used by Organization XIII. Riku stole it to break into the database, but failed, for the time being.

Acc. 2:

-Riku's Titles

-Dark Swordsmen: He has embraced the darkness to escape from his world. Now he must embrace the light to get it back.

Riku's Techs

-Dark Fiagra: Riku fires a dark fireball that explodes on impact. Causing fire and dark damage.

-Dark Break: Currently unavailable.

-Dark Aura: Currently unavailable.

Skits and Battle Endings

-Skits:

Riku: pant, pant

Lloyd: You okay Riku?

Riku: Y-yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired… this damned Exsphere…

Genis: What are you talking about?

Riku: Forcystus put this Exsphere on me… and then shot me with this… gun. It drained all my powers. That's why I could only attack with the Dark Fiagra.

Lloyd: Wow, that's horrible. I don't know what I'd do if I lost all of my Techs.

Riku: Yeah, make me feel worse. How about we switch Exspheres for a little while you son of a…

Genis: W-what is that!?

Riku: What!? What's what!?

Genis: T-That sword! It's so scary looking.

Riku: Oh, my sword? Yeah, this is Souleater. This thing is packed with sick dark powers. It's basically what gives me all my abilities.

Genis: Wow… Lloyd, does your swords do that.

Lloyd: No way, my swords are all natural.

Riku: Seriously… they _are_ made of wood…

Lloyd: Shut up!

-Battle Endings

Riku: Hell yeah, we kick ass!

Lloyd: I didn't even get to fight…

Genis: Maybe if you would just cool it.

Riku: Just shut up and pick up the pace!

Lloyd: Not so tough when you don't have all your techs!

Riku: Screw you!

All I can think of for now… What gives me the feeling I'm forgetting a lot…?

Maybe the fact that I don't even have 500 words…?

Just wait till Riku learns some the Combination Techs… I can't remember the technical name…


End file.
